The Don Quixote PieceScene 7

Lucia the French girl mopped the sweat of morning
rehearsal from her face.

"I was recreating Tits and Ass for my father and my
brother last week when they came to visit me."

Beth sat with her back against the studio's mirrored
wall. Lucia, in first position, her hand on her hip, was
placed before the mirror, looking into the mirror as she
mopped at her shining face. Her face shined in the light.
Beth did not react.

"I was relating this very curious taxi ride that I
lived. I was going to the airport, no? And the taxi driver
began to tell me of all the striptease clubs he had visited
in his whole lifetime."

Beth did not react.

"It was strange. And how many times has this happened to
you? I say, you know, 'I am a dancer, I dance.'" And Lucia the
French girl looked from the mirror to Beth, casually dropping
the hand towel onto her bag.

"And they react with an "ohhh" and with an animal look
and immediately I correct them, I say, 'No no, I am a ballet
dancer.' And this animal look becomes a confused animal look
then, you see." She looked back to the mirror.

"Depends, on the man, no? But how many times does this
happen? And when will I learn to say ballet in the
beginning? You would expect it by now, no?"

Beth nodded uninterestedly.

"So I was relating this story to my father and he is
giving me suddenly an ironic look, you know, with the
eyebrows up, joking me, of course, over my nothing bust. And
I responded with 'Yeah, tits and ass never got me a job.' And
my father and my brother were looking at me without
understanding. So I explained it was from A Chorus Line..."
And here Lucia the French girl sings, "Tits and ass will get
you jobs..."

But Beth still does not react.

"...unless their yours. And I was singing and singing
and still they were not understanding me, you know. And their
English is good enough for that, you know. And, well, forget
it. Look, just forget it. What do you have today? What is
happening with you? You will not let me cheer you!"

And Lucia the French girl eased down then onto the
marley floor before Beth. She stretched her legs into the
splits and began to massage at the inside of her left thigh.
She looked pointedly at her friend.

Beth reacted finally: "Oh," just saying.

Beth sat then a troubled moment.

Then, at last, Beth spoke: "You've unnerved me."

And that was all Beth said.

And that was all Lucia needed to hear. Lucia knew
exactly what Beth meant.